We cannot let her die: Police break up Irom Sharmila fast, detain her

After 40 hours of going without food, Manipur police forcefully picked Irom Sharmila up from her fast venue on Thursday.

Sharmila resisted arrest, and her supporters attempted to prevent the police from taking her away, but she was dragged away, screaming and crying. The NDTV channel said that  protesters and police had also scuffled at the fast venue.

“A group of women police arrived at the makeshift protest venue and forcibly took her away,” local activist Janaki Devi told AFP.

“They said she was arrested for refusing to eat, which according to authorities is tantamount to attempted suicide.”

Police said she would be taken to a prison hospital in Imphal, the capital of northeastern Manipur state, and force fed via nasal drip.

“We cannot let her die,” a senior police official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Sharmila was released from the prison hospital on Wednesday, a day after a Manipur court ruled that a longstanding criminal charge against her of attempting suicide was unsustainable.

The lower sessions court ruled that the fast by Sharmila, who insists she is not trying to take her own life, is a “political protest through lawful means”.

However, the court said in Tuesday’s judgment that the state government “may take appropriate measures for her health and safety” such as continuing with feeding her through her nose if she continues to fast.

In the wake of the AFSPA activist refusing to be being fed and shunning all medical check-up, the police had to literally lift the screaming, crying, protesting activist from her fast venue.

Almost thirty hours after she was released from a jail hospital in Imphal, Irom Sharmila refused to undergo medical check-up, NDTV said.

In an interview with NDTV earlier today, a very frail Sharmila said, “I feel strong, very strong. I want to go to the market right now to be with the people. To influence them at my best level.”

After being released on Wednesday evening, Sharmila had announced that she would continue her fast to demand the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

According to the channel, what specially irked her was that the doctor who came to her dharna site around 10pm on Thursday to carry out the medical checkup. He was accompanied by a large police force, triggering concerns among her supporters that the police may take Sharmila under detention once again.

“I have said I will not allow a medical check-up,” said Sharmila, who was sleeping when the doctor and the police arrived. “I don’t know why they are disturbing me.”

Asked if she expected to be detained or even arrested, Sharmila said, “That is up to the government”.

The late night drama took place at the tin shack which is now Irom’s dharna site. While no one in the government was ready to go on record, sources said the officials are confounded by Tuesday’s court order of Sharmila’s release.

Sharmila began her hunger strike in November 2000 after witnessing the army kill 10 people at a bus stop near her home in Manipur, which is subject to the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

AFSPA, which covers large parts of northeastern India and the restive state of Kashmir, gives Indian forces sweeping powers to search, enter property and shoot on sight, and is seen by critics as a cover for human rights abuses.

With inputs from agencies